Vehicle-shaft coupling.



No. 803,013. l PAT-MED 00T. s1, 19o5. R. MULHOLLAND. VEHICLE SHAFTCOUPLING.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII BDJ'UNE 8,1905.-

Mw um l Witnesses. omdlnventor.

No. 803.013. K PATENTEB 0012031, 1905.

R. MULHOLLA'ND. f VEHICLE SHAFT GOUPLING.

APPLICATION UNI: 8.1905.

` z SHE um Hw l/%///////// UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application led June 8, 1905. Serial No. 264,265.

.a draw-bolt.

Among the principal objects of the invention are to distribute thelocking strain upon the spring part of one of the members of thecoupling, to reduce the liability of breaking, to prevent lateralmovement of the lockinglever on the link, to prevent lateral movement ofthe spring by providing the lockinglever with flanges fitting over theedges of said spring, to provide an easy and convenient means forpivotally securing the link to the lookin -lever, and to make provisionfor adapting t e coupling to draw-bolts of varying sizes.

The invention also relates to certain details of construction, all ofwhich will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation of the improved shaft-coupling, showing the sameapplied to a vehicle-shaft shackle. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of theimproved coupling. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section on line a,a, Fig. 2, showing the improved shaft-coupling applied to theshaft-shackle with a draw-bolt of reduced size. Fig. 4 is a detachedfragmentary top plan view of the shaft-iron, showing the movable memberof the coupling attached thereto. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3,showing the coupling in open osition. Fig. 6 is a detached view of theoop-link. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the improvedshaft-coupling aplied to the shaft-shackle with a draw-bolt of argerdiameter. Fi 8 is a transverse section through the sha t and shaft-iron,showing another form of loop-link. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 4,showing another form of hinge-joint. Fig. 10 is a transverse sectionthrough a draw-boltprovided with a leather packing.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in which similar numerals indicatecorresponding parts in the several views, 1 is the axle;

removal by a rivet 16.

2, the axle-bed; 3, the shaft-shackle, and 4 the draw-bolt held by same.

The shaft-iron 5 is bent or curved at its rear end, which is reduced toform a pivotal tongue 6, and constitutes the stationary member of thecoupling, being provided with a transverse recess 7 on its outer sidenear said rear end of approximately semicircular form. (See Fig. 5.) Itis also provided with a transverse groove 8, preferably on the top sideat a suitable intermediate point, which constitutes a seat for a pivotallink, as will be more specifically set forth farther on. The bodyportion 9 of the movable member of the coupling has a transverse recess10 on its inner or top side, which is of approximately semicircular formand is provided with a forked or bifurcated end 11 having thebifurcations separated sufficiently to permit the interposition of thetongue 6, which is pivoted between the forks or bifurcations by apivot-pin 12. The body 9 is preferably of cast or wrought iron orsimilar metal, and it is provided with a longitudinal mortise or socket13, in which one end of a spring portion 14 of the movable member issupported.

The socket or mortise has a substantially flat and straight bottom wall,against which the bottom surface of that portion of the spring 14 withinthe socket bears throughout its length when the coupling is open, and atop wall 15, which curves outwardly at the outer end of the socket toprovide an enlarged or flaring mouth for the socket, so that when thecoupling is in locked position the end of the spring within the socketis bent against the curved portion. The object of this construction isto distribute the strain or tension of the spring upon a fairly widesurface instead of centering it at one point-the outer termination ormouth of the socket-which would necessarily result were the socketformed with straight walls and of the same depth throughout, and therebystrengthen the construction and reduce the liability of breaking thespring when under tension.

It will be noticed that the surface against which the spring bearsgradually becomes greater as the spring bends, so that the length ofbearing varies in accordance with the correspondence of the bend of thespring to the curve of the top wall of the socket.

The spring is secured in the socket against rIlle spring 14 is bent orcurved near its outer end to provide one or more transverse IOO IOS

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seats, in any one of which the enlarged cam vof an eccentric-lever isadapted to engage. The obj ect of this is to provide for the use ofdrawbolts of varying diameters. In the adaptation shown two transverseseats 17 and 18 are formed, one being at the outer end of the spring andthe other near the outer end.

An eccentric-lever 19 is connected to the shaft by a loop-link 20, whichis formed substantially as shown in Fig. 5 and pivotally attached to theshaft by seating one of its end parts or members thereof in thetransverse groove 8 in the shaft-iron. 'Ihe opposite end part or memberof the loop-link has a central annular enlargement 21, and theeccentric-lever has a transverse groove or depression 22 in which saidend part is seated, the Wall 23 on one side of the groove being formedcomparatively thin, so that it may be bent over to secure the link tothe lever. The Wall 23 is provided with a groove 24, into which theenlargement21 of the link end engages to prevent any appreciable lateralmovement without interfering with the pivotal turning of the lever onthe link.

The lever 19 is provided With an offset end or cam 25, which is adaptedto engage in either of the transverse seats 17 and 18, and has flanges26 on each side of said cam, which project over the side edges of thespring 14 and prevent lateral movement while the lever is in engagementwith the spring.

The improved shaft-coupling is preferably assembled as follows: Themovable member is pivotally attached to the tongue 6 at the rear vend ofthe shaft-iron 5 by a suitable rivet 12.

The swinging link 20 is pivotally attached to the eccentric-lever 19 byseating its upper end in the groove 22 .and bending the wall over, asbefore set forth, and the opposite end of the link 20 is placed in thegroove 8 of the shaft-iron5, and the latter is applied to the shaft 27in the usual manner. The coupling While in its open position (see Fig.5) is then applied to the shackle 3 at the rear side of the draw-bolt 4,the movable member 9 is turned on its pivot around the draw-bolt 4, andthe desired seat in the end of the spring 14 is engaged by the cam 25 ofthe eccentric-lever 1 9, and the coupling is drawn to its closedposition by manually moving the lever 19 and swinging link 18, (see Fig.2,) or if it is desired to use a draw-bolt of different diameter thanthat shown in Fig. 2 the part 25 of the eccentric -lever is engaged inanother groove in the spring 14 and is drawn into its closed position inthe same manner. In either case the movable member 9 is forced towardthe stationary members of the coupling, which firmly hold the draw-bolt4 between them in the socket formed by the semicircular transverserecesses 7 and 10. The spring 14 automatically holds the members of thecoupling together with a spring tension and takes up the Wear of theparts automatically. The

soaois flanges 26 of the eccentric-lever 19 serve to hold the spring 14firmly in place against lat- -eral movement when the coupling is in itsclosed position.

I do not desire to be held strictly to the detail manner of constructionshown r and specified herein, as it will be evident that several changesmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention-as, orinstance, the rear part 7 of the coupling may be forked or bifurcatedinstead of being formed with a single tongue, and the movable member 9made with a single tongue and pivotally connected, as shown in Fig. 9.

The construction may be further modified by forming as an integral partof the shaftiron 5 or attaching thereto a central projection 28 andpivotally attaching to the same and to the eccentric-lever 19 the sidestraps or links 29 by rivets 30, as shown in Fig. 8, in lieu of theloop-link20. fer the loop form of link shown in Fig. 6, which is madesolid in one piece and is perhaps stronger and cheaper to manufacture.

- While in most of the views the draw-bolt 4 is shown without a bushing,it may be provided with a suitable bushing of leather or other suitablematerial surrounding the same to actas a cushion, if desired, as shownin Fig. 10.

The principal advantages of this invention reside in the manner ofsecuring the spring to the body portion of the movable member, thearrangement of side flanges on the cam of the lever for preventinglateral movement of the spring, the central enlarging of one end memberof the loop-link, and the forming of a groove in the wall of the openingin the lever inclosing said loop and in which said enlargement engagesto prevent lateral movement of the lever, the novel means for securingthe loop-link to the lever by bending a portion of the lever over theloop-link to inclose a part of said loop-link in an opening in thelever, and the provision for fitting the coupling on draw-bolts ofvarying sizes.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a coupling of the class described, aplurality of coupling members, one of which has a body provided with asocket having a flaring mouth and a spring having its end However, Ipre- Iool IIS

secured in the socket and means for engaging having its end in saidsocket adapted to gradually contact with said curved Wall as it is bentand locking means engaging said spring.

4. In a coupling of the class described, a shaft, a stationary member onthe shaft, a movable member pivoted to the stationary member` and havinga spring part which is bent at one end to provide a seat, a loop-linkpivoted to the shaft and an eccentric-lever pivoted to the loop-link andhaving a cam adapted to engage and turn in the seat in the spring partof the movable member.

5. In a coupling of the class described, a shaft, a stationary member onthe shaft, a movable member pivoted to the stationary member and havinga spring part provided ,With a plurality of seats, a loop-link pivotedto the shaft and an eccentric-lever pivoted to the loop-link and havinga cam adapted to engage and turn in any one of the seats in the springpart of the movable member.

6. In a coupling of the class described, a plurality of couplingmembers, one of which is at least in part of-spring character and has aplurality of seats and a locking-lever having a cam adapted to engage inany one of said seats whereby the coupling may be used With draw-boltsof varying sizes.

7. In a coupling of the class described, a shaft, a stationary member onsaid shaft, a movable member pivoted to the stationary member and havinga spring part Which is bent at one end to provide a seat, a loop-linkpivoted to the shaft and an eccentric-lever pivoted to the loop-link andhaving a cam adapted to engage and Vturn in the seat 1n the spring partof the movable member and side flanges adapted to project over the edgesof the spring to prevent lateral movement of said spring.

8. In a coupling of the class described., a plurality of couplingmembers, one of which is at least in part of spring character and has aseat, and a locking-lever having a cam adapted to engage in said seatand side ilanges adapted to project over the edges of the spring toprevent lateral movement.

9. In a coupling of the class described, a

lurality of coupling members, a loop-link liaving an enlargement on oneof its parts and a locking-lever pivoted to the loop-link and having agroove in which the enlargement engages, substantially as set forth.

10. In a couplingof the class described, a shaft, a stationary member onthe shaft, a movable member pivoted to the stationary member and havinga spring part which is bent at one end to provide a seat, a loop-linkpivoted to the shaft and having an enlargement on one of its parts, andan eccentriclever pivoted to the loop-link and having a cam adapted toengage and turn in the seat in the spring part of the movable member anda groove in which the enlargement of the loop-link engages.

RICHARD MULHOLLAND.

Witnesses:

O. B. MULHOLLAND, R. I. MULHOLLAND.

